Letter to Saints Scattered Abroad, 25 June
1835

Dear
Brethren:—It is a duty which every saint ought to render to his
brethren freely—to always love them, and ever succor them. To be
justified before God we must love one another: we must overcome evil;
we must visit the fatherless and the widow in their affliction, and
we must keep ourselves unspotted from the world: for such virtues
flow from the great fountain of pure religion. Strengthening our faith
by adding every good quality that adorns the children of the blessed
Jesus, we can pray in the season of prayer; we can love our neighbor
as ourselves, & be faithful in tribulation, knowing that the
reward of such is greater in the kingdom of heaven. What a
consolation! What a joy! Let me live the life of the righteous, and
let my reward be like his!

According to the
order of the kingdom begun in the last days, to prepare men for the
rest of the Lord, the
elders

A male leader in the church generally; an ecclesiastical and priesthood office or one holding that office; a proselytizing missionary. The Book of Mormon explained that elders ordained priests and teachers and administered “the flesh and blood of Christ unto...

in
Zion, or in her immediate region, have no authority or right, to meddle
with her spiritual affairs, to regulate her concerns, or hold
councils

A gathering of church leaders assembled “for consultation, deliberation and advice”; also a body responsible for governance or administration. As early as 9 February 1831, a revelation instructed that “the Elders & Bishop shall Council together & they shall...

for
the expulsion of members, in her unorganized condition. The
high
council

A governing body of twelve high priests. The first high council was organized in Kirtland, Ohio, on 17 February 1834 “for the purpose of settling important difficulties which might arise in the church, which could not be settled by the church, or the bishop...

has been expressly organized to administer in all her
spiritual affairs; and the
bishop

An ecclesiastical and priesthood office. JS appointed Edward Partridge as the first bishop in February 1831. Following this appointment, Partridge functioned as the local leader of the church in Missouri. Later revelations described a bishop’s duties as receiving...

A governing body comprising a bishop and his counselors. The bishop’s council was charged with overseeing the temporal affairs of the church, administering goods under the law of consecration, and assisting the poor. The bishop’s council had authority to ...

Dear
Brethren:—It is a duty which every saint ought to render to his
brethren freely—to always love them, and ever succor them. To be
justified before God we must love one another: we must overcome evil;
we must visit the fatherless and the widow in their affliction, and
we must keep ourselves unspotted from the world: for such virtues
flow from the great fountain of pure religion. Strengthening our faith
by adding every good quality that adorns the children of the blessed
Jesus, we can pray in the season of prayer; we can love our neighbor
as ourselves, & be faithful in tribulation, knowing that the
reward of such is greater in the kingdom of heaven. What a
consolation! What a joy! Let me live the life of the righteous, and
let my reward be like his!

According to the
order of the kingdom begun in the last days, to prepare men for the
rest of the Lord, the
elders

A male leader in the church generally; an ecclesiastical and priesthood office or one holding that office; a proselytizing missionary. The Book of Mormon explained that elders ordained priests and teachers and administered “the flesh and blood of Christ unto...

in
Zion, or in her immediate region, have no authority or right, to meddle
with her spiritual affairs, to regulate her concerns, or hold
councils

A gathering of church leaders assembled “for consultation, deliberation and advice”; also a body responsible for governance or administration. As early as 9 February 1831, a revelation instructed that “the Elders & Bishop shall Council together & they shall...

for
the expulsion of members, in her unorganized condition. The
high
council

A governing body of twelve high priests. The first high council was organized in Kirtland, Ohio, on 17 February 1834 “for the purpose of settling important difficulties which might arise in the church, which could not be settled by the church, or the bishop...

has been expressly organized to administer in all her
spiritual affairs; and the
bishop

An ecclesiastical and priesthood office. JS appointed Edward Partridge as the first bishop in February 1831. Following this appointment, Partridge functioned as the local leader of the church in Missouri. Later revelations described a bishop’s duties as receiving...

A governing body comprising a bishop and his counselors. The bishop’s council was charged with overseeing the temporal affairs of the church, administering goods under the law of consecration, and assisting the poor. The bishop’s council had authority to ...

Located ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and 1,000 others; in 1838 about 2,000 Saints and 1,200 others; in 1839 about 100 Saints and 1,500 others. Mormon missionaries visited township...